The Production of Czechoslovakia´s Most Popular Television Serial The Hospital On The Outskirts and its Post-1989 Repeats

During the 1970s and 1980s - the so-called normalisation era in Czechoslovakia - serials were the main staple of Czechoslovak Television (ČST) ‘s schedule. TV serials of the normalisation era had high viewer ratings, and are still present in the memories of the viewers of the time. TV serials are part of the audiences’ personal history. Based on archival research, this article tries to interpret the success of the serial Hospital on the Outskirts, and of its post-1989 repeats. The original version achieved success with a large audience in Czechoslovakia as well as other countries. In 1981, the West German television broadcaster Norddeutscher Rundfunk even co-produced the filming of another seven episodes. After the change of regime in 1989, the serial first made a comeback in the form of repeats. At the beginning of the 21st century, Czech Television (ČT) produced a sequel named Hospital on the Outskirts After Twenty Years. The sequel was introduced in 2003 and its release was accompanied by great anticipation of the audience as well as critics. Czech Television shot more episodes in 2008: Hospital on the Outskirts - New Life Stories.